BRONX, NY – Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Thursday that NYPD Detective Jorge Mergeche, 39, has been indicted for assault and official misconduct for allegedly using excessive force during an arrest. Mergeche is accused of punching a suspect, Rafael Saavedra, and slamming his head into the ground while Saavedra was being handcuffed.
The incident, which took place on April 2, 2022, was captured on video by a surveillance camera. Mergeche, who is assigned to Bronx Homicide, was arraigned on an indictment charging second-degree assault, third-degree assault, and official misconduct before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Guy Mitchell. He is due back in court on July 11, 2022. According to the investigation, after Saavedra crashed into a truck on College Avenue and exited his vehicle with his hands in the air, Mergeche allegedly slammed Saavedra’s head into the pavement multiple times, punched him in the head and face, and kicked him in the back of the head using a knee. Saavedra suffered swelling and abrasions to his face, broken teeth, and received medical treatment at a local hospital.
The case is being prosecuted by the Public Integrity Bureau, under the overall supervision of the Investigations Division.